Wedding day—the first page of a romance novel meant to last a lifetime. You can see the scene now: your eyes gazing into those of the groom as you exchange vows, bridesmaids in their beautiful matching dresses, a quadruple-layered cake that redefines delicious.

But can you see a clear picture of yourself? You are meant to shine as a radiant bride, but what will that look like for you? Below are the essential wedding beauty tips, wedding makeup tips, and wedding day tips for bride needed to nail your wedding look—we’re talking about more than mere fingernail tips ⯑.

Choose a style that reflects your inner beauty

If you’re not a heavy makeup user, don’t drown your face with dark eyeshadow and heavy mascara. Overall, go for a timeless look that reflects your personality and natural beauty. If you are comfortable, it will allow your beauty to flow from the inside out. Please take this wedding beauty tip to heart. Remember that you are beautiful, regardless of your weight on wedding day. Feeling confident about who you really are will also help you to look your best on the outside.

Take care of your skin way ahead of time

I know, nearly all of us wish we had more hours in the day, but the reality is that we need eight hours of sleep. Our skin sheds dead skin cells, restores moisture, and flushes toxins during this time. Skimp on sleep and your skin will suffer. In addition to beauty sleep, you’ll also want to use the right products to make your skin glow and wash your skin twice per day. Be careful with new skin care treatments, however. You don’t want your skin to react negatively to new treatment without time to recover. If you want to change the products you use, some experts recommend doing so an entire year before your wedding day to be safe.

Remember to eat healthy. Fruits and veggies are some of your best friends from now until wedding day (and hopefully after too!). Avoid too many refined sugars, dairy products, or anything that causes an allergic reaction. Your body will tell you what it needs more than what it craves if you listen closely.

Select a makeup artist wisely

This wedding makeup tip could be the difference between a pretty nice makeup job and an absolutely stunning one. Professional makeup artists aren’t cheap, but because the memory, videos, and pictures of your wedding will last a lifetime, hiring a reasonably priced professional is likely worth the money. Try visiting makeup counters to see who does your makeup well. If you’re lucky, that person might agree to do your makeup on your special day!

If you choose not to hire a professional, don’t be afraid to ask someone you know for help! Most of us have friends or family who can play a makeup palette like a piano, allowing colors to harmonize perfectly with any skin type.

Be sure to pretty-proof your look before wedding day

Make sure that you are happy with the way your makeup looks ahead of time, and remember: your look might pleasantly surprise guests, but you don’t want it to unpleasantly surprise you. What a shame it would be to look back at your photos and wonder why you weren’t honest with yourself about loving the look you chose.

If your wedding will be at a church, go for a more elegant style. If your style is wild and free, you might consider long, flowy curls. Remember that certain styles work better with certain hair lengths, but extensions are an option to open more options for you. The dress is extremely important to consider when choosing a hairstyle—the two must work together to nail your wedding look! For amazing hairstyle ideas from updos to hair-down styles, check out weddingforward.com. Here you will find a wide variety of bridal styles that look stunning.

Remember to use setting spray and waterproof mascara

This is one of the most important wedding day tips for brides. Setting spray will help keep makeup intact from sunup to sundown. That way you can enjoy your wedding without wondering if your makeup is melting away. Waterproof mascara is essential because, well…it’s a wedding! You might cry tears of happiness on what is supposed to be the “happiest day of your life,” even if you rarely cry.

Make wise decisions the night before your big day

You don’t want to stay up late watching movie marathons or partying or doing anything unhealthy. “Early to bed, early to rise makes a [bride] healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Take care of your skin. Also eat lightly the night before—extra bread or too much protein might make it tougher to fit into that dress in the morning. And remember to relax. You don’t need any stress or the breakouts that come with it. You’ve worked hard to prepare for this day, so prepare to enjoy it with no worries!